In space, there is a large amount of space debris of artificial projectile-related objects such as the wreckage of rockets or artificial satellites which have completed their mission, or the fragments of such objects resulting from explosions in orbits that revolve about the earth. Furthermore cosmic dust (microscopic meteoroids) formed from natural rock, or minerals or metals are also present.
Objects flying in space such as space debris or cosmic dust displace at a high velocity and therefore pose a risk of having a serious effect on operating space vessels by colliding with a space vessel such as an artificial satellite, manned spaceship or space station during operation. As a result, the formulation of strategies to prevent collisions between operating space vessels and these types of object flying in space requires an accurate analysis of the state in which the objects flying in space exist in the space environment.
For this reason, terrestrial-based optical telescopes or radar are used to measure relatively large space debris of the objects flying in space. However the methods associated with these types of measurements can only measure space debris with a size of at least several centimeters in diameter. Therefore there is a need for detection by satellites or the like of objects flying in space of less than that size which will actually collide to thereby investigate the distribution and the like of such objects.
Conventional methods of detection of objects flying in space based on collision with an object flying in space include a method of measuring vibration or sound produced during a collision of an object flying in space using a detection apparatus such as a piezo film, a piezo-element, a microphone or the like (for example refer to Patent Literature 1), a method of using a predetermined detection apparatus to measure an electrical charge or light when the object flying in space is transformed into plasma by a collision, or a method of applying a charge in advance to a piezo film which serves as a detection apparatus and measuring the voltage fluctuation produced when the object flying in space collides with and passes through the film.
In addition, a method of detecting a collision with an object flying in space has been investigated in which gas is placed into a small bottle and a change in pressure is measured in the bottle that is produced by the escape of gas resulting from a collision of the object flying in space with the bottle.    [Patent Literature 1] Japan Patent Application, First Publication No. 5-286500